Ephemeral Dreams
by Lady Akina
Summary: I didn't want anyone to understand my pain. When your dreams are unattainable, they only make you miserable. It's just the way I live. [Anime]


It was dark... Only a few stars illuminated the night. Miki had been wandering the streets of New York all day. 'Yuu... is my half brother?' The thought played in Miki's mind over and over like a broken record. The tears had long since dried. She just felt numb.

'No more.' Her once expressive brown eyes were blank cool ambers. 'I'm tired of being hurt.'

She glanced down at her watch. It was 3 a.m. She could catch an early morning flight. 'Where though? I can't go back to Japan. I can't stay here in New York.' She shrugged the worries out of her mind. She didn't care. She would just get the next flight to wherever. With that in mind, she hailed a taxi and headed to the airport.

'My brother...' She suddenly felt sick. 'I fell in love with my half brother.' She closed her eyes and tried to rid the images of the kisses she and Yuu shared. 'It's so wrong, but I can't help but still love him. There's something wrong with me.' She reopened her eyes as she felt the car come to a stop.

"Thanks," she muttered handing the driver cash to cover the ride. She stepped out into the cold, early morning air and walked into the airport, heading directly to the ticket center.

"Excuse me."

"What can I do for you?" the man behind the counter looked dead on his feet.

"I need a ticket to..."

Where was she going to go? She glanced to her right and saw a poster.

"I need a ticket to California."

"When would you like to leave?"

"The soonest flight possible please."

The man seemed to perk up a bit and looked at her. "Aren't you a bit young?"

'Think!' She smiled and played it off with a small giggle. "I get that a lot. I attend private school here," 'Thank god my English is good.' Miki's eyes suddenly became watery. It was easy to pretend, "My mother called me and told me that my father was in the hospital. I'm so worried. I... I...,"fake tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Miss. I'm sure your father will be alright. Here," he typed something into the computer, "You're in luck! The next flight to California is in an hour and a half. It's to San Francisco."

"Please, can I catch that flight?"

"Of course. All I need is a credit card and some identification and your good to go."

"Thank you so much!" she pulled out her credit card and I.D., handing them to the man.

A few minutes later, Miki found herself walking toward the gate clutching the ticket in her hand.

What would she do when she got there? Sure she had saved a lot of money, but she still needed money for housing and food and she had no idea how long she would be there. 'I'll get a job. I'm sure someone will hire me.'

She sat there contemplating what she would do when she got to California before she heard the beginning of boarding call. There weren't many other passengers, but that was fine with her.

She settled into her seat on the plane and looked out the window. It was still dark, but there was a faint strip of light in the horizon signaling that morning was coming soon.

The seatbelt sign turned on and the captain began speaking. Soon the plane began to pull away from the gate. More and more of the sky was becoming illuminated by the rising sun.

The plane was picking up speed. Miki soon felt the familiar feeling of being in the air. 'Goodbye everybody.' Half an hour into the flight, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

---

Miki awoke as the captain announced that the plane was landing. Had she slept through the entire flight? 'Oh well. Whatever.'

The plane landed and everyone began to exit. She grabbed her bag and exited the aircraft with the other passengers. She wandered around the airport until it was afternoon and the sun was high in the sky.

'Alright, I have to do something. I need to get a job.' Determined, she exited the airport caught a taxi.

"Where to, Miss?" the cab driver asked politely.

She thought about it for a few seconds. "Do you know of any coffee or ice cream shops that are hiring?"

The driver looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "Actually, I do. My sister and her husband have just recently opened a coffee and book shop. It's quite popular. They are looking for a full-time waitress to help around."

"Really! Can you take me there? I need a job."

"Sure," the car began moving. "Are you a runaway?"

Miki didn't know what to say, "I... I... well..."

"Don't worry about it. There are a lot of people here who have run away. From your accent, you're Asian, right?"

"Japanese."

"Yeah, well, the café has a loft above it. My sister has her own apartment, so I'm sure you can take that."

"Why are you helping me? Not that I'm not grateful...," she trailed off.

The driver laughed, "Well, you look like you've had a rough time. Whatever you're leaving behind must have been really bad."

"I guess you could say that..."

The rest of the ride was silent. The cab pulled to a stop in front of a cozy café. The driver exited the car after Miki did. He motioned for her to follow him.

"Yo, sis!" he called when they got inside.

"Hey stranger! I haven't seen you for a while," a pretty brunette appeared behind the counter. Her green eyes twinkled.

"I found you a full-time waitress."

"Really?" she just raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! She's from Japan, had a rough time so..." he stopped and gave his sister a look.

Mutual understanding passed between the siblings. The brunette turned to Miki, "Hello! My name's Alexia. Alexia Madison. Just call me Lexi. What's your name?"

"Mi..." Miki paused. Did she really want to tell them her real name? "I'm Miki. Miki Matsuura."

"Well Miki, I'm sure you'll be a fine worker. Come on, I'll get you started right now. We can discuss your pay later. Is that all right?" Lexi asked.

Miki nodded. She began following the older girl then remembered the cab driver. She turned around to face him, "Thank you very much," Miki thought for a moment, "I'm sorry. I've never gotten your name."

"Chris." he smiled at her.

"Thank you, Chris." she attempted to smile, but it was weak. Her eyes stayed as cold ambers.

"Think nothing of it. You seemed to be in trouble and I like the feeling of being a big brother instead of a little one."

"So you're Big Brother Chris?"

"Of course! I'll protect you from the jerk-offs that want you!" he puffed up his chest.

"Okay Big Brother." Lexi called her from the back room. "I have to go. Thank you again!"

Chris gave a short wave then went back to his taxi.

"What took you so long?" Lexi asked.

"I was thanking Big Brother Chris."

"Big Brother Chris?" Lexi looked amused.

"He said I could call him that. I've actually been an only child and the closest thing to a sibling I have is my best friend."

"Chris is the protective type."

'Protective? Oh no! What if I gave him th wrong impression?'

Lexi noticed the look in her eyes and put a hand on the younger girls shoulder. "Don't worry about him. Chris really does think of you as only a little sister. He's a good judge of character and totally gay."

A small sigh of relief escaped Miki's lips. "I was worried for a minute there. I'm not ready to be in a relationship or telling guys off yet."

"Chris is majoring in psychology. Being a cab driver is just a part-time job. He says he gets to meet new people," Lexi said randomly.

"He'll be a great psychologist one day."

"Yup, he will," it was silent for a few minutes before they heard the front door open. "Oh! How about you serve this costumer and I'll see how you do," Lexi handed her a black apron.

"Okay," Miki put on the apron and grabbed a pen and pad of paper from the table. She walked into the main part of the café and headed toward the customer, "Hello, sir. Can I get you anything?"

---

Yuu glanced at the clock then at the phone. Where was Miki? Was she safe? Was she hurt? Questions flooded his mind. He had searched all night for her, but didn't find a single clue as to her whereabouts. The police hadn't called him back either. The others had looked in different areas but came back with nothing.

The phone rang.

Yuu jumped up from his seat on the couch and picked it up. "Hello?" His voice was a bit desperate.

"Hello, is Yuu Matsuura home?"

"This is he."

"Mr. Matsuura. I would like to inform you that Miki Koishikawa bought a plane ticket to San Francisco, California at around 3:30 A.M. this morning. We are currently contacting the police department there and filing a missing person report to the F.B.I."

Yuu sat down in shock. She had gone to California? What was she doing there? 'Getting as far away from you as possible, idiot.' "Thank you for your help." he hung up the phone and buried his face in his hands. "Miki..."

He sat there for a while thinking. He picked up the phone and dialed the number to his parent's house in Japan.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom"

"Yuu!" Noises could be heard in the background.

"Yes, mom. It's me." Yuu was getting nervous, but he had to tell them.

"Mom" the other side of the line had gone quiet, "Mom, Miki..." Yuu hesitated.

"Huh? What going on? What's wrong with Miki?" Chiyako sounded worried and murmurs could be heard in the background.

"She's gone missing. I don't know where she is." Yuu's voice held a tint of shame. It's true. He didn't know. He didn't know where Miki was.

"What? Yuu! Go find Miki! Find her now! What if she's hurt!"

"Yes. I'll find her." Yuu disconnected the line.

'What do I do?'

---

"Miki!"

Miki turned around at the sound of her name. She saw Lexi motioning for her to go to the counter. "Yes?"

"I want you to be careful," Lexi kept her voice low, "There was an announcement on national news that a 17 year old Japanese girl had gone missing and is believed to be in San Francisco. I'm not going to ask why you didn't tell me your real last name because I would be surprised if you hadn't lied, but if you want, I can get you out of America."

Miki didn't know what to do. She wanted to stay, but she didn't want to be found either. "Where would I go?" she heard herself asking.

"I have a friend in England. She went to high school with me and ended up marrying some English aristocrat. She helps me hide runaways that don't want to be found."

"But I don't have much money."

Lexi grinned, "Don't worry. Girls usually don't. I'll take care of the ticket. You just have to stay behind a week before I can send you off."

Miki nodded. She was not going back. She had said goodbye to her past and she wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

"Anyways...," Lexi handed her a tray with a croissant and a vanilla mocha, "Be a dear and give this to that young lady over there."

---

A week passed quickly and Miki found herself on another plane. 'When will I stop running? I'm starting to get tired already.'

The flight was pretty long, but there was a stopover in New York and she was nervous. They wouldn't catch her would they? Before she knew it, they had landed and everyone was getting off.

'Deep breathes Miki. They think you're in San Francisco and this ticket was bought under Lexi's name. You'll be fine.'

She looked at her boarding pass for England. Just half an hour until she could get on. 'I'll just get there early and wait.' She found the departure gate easily and sat down near the door. She placed a baseball cap on and bowed her head giving off the illusion that she was napping.

Soon enough, they began boarding, a few minutes before schedule, but she didn't mind. As she was gathering up her bag, something caught her gaze. It was Yuu! He was talking to the man that sold her the ticket to California two weeks before. She pulled the bill of the cap lower in hopes of covering up her face and handed over her boarding pass. She snuck one more glance at Yuu and saw he was looking in her general direction. Thankfully, Lexi had given her a wig of long black hair just to be safe. As soon as she boarded she let out a sigh of relief. That was close.

---

Yuu felt eyes watching him as he spoke to the man who had sold Miki a ticket. He glanced to the right and saw a group of people boarding a plane for England. A girl with long black hair caught his gaze. She looked like Miki. Miki was in California though. They found out that she had been working at a coffee shop there, but had left the day before. Where could she have gone?

He watched as the woman with black hair board the plane. 'Get a grip. Miki's smart. She wouldn't come back to New York since she knows that we're looking for her.

"I need some sleep," he muttered under his breath. He thanked the man and left the airport.

---

Five Years Later

"Miki! Are you ready for the shoot?" a pretty woman with shoulder length blonde hair called.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm ready," Miki responded absentmindedly.

"What's wrong Miki?" the woman asked.

"Nothing, Claire. Just thinking."

"Well, whatever it is, don't let it get to you! You're one of the top models for our line! You should be happy! The only thing you need for a perfect life is the perfect boyfriend," the woman, now known as Claire, clasped her hands in front of her face. A dreamy look entered her eyes and Miki had to laugh.

It was true. In the five years Miki had been in England, she had began working as a part-time model while being a full-time waitress. Soon, a larger fashion company recruited her and she became a full time model. She was able to get her own apartment and live comfortably. Well, as comfortable as someone could be when they were in hiding.

'Hiding... I'm still running aren't I?' Miki just wasn't the same anymore. Sure she seemed like a ditz to everyone, but for those who knew of her past, she had become strangely distant. She was able to smile and laugh on the outside, but on the inside, she was still numb. Her once bright smiles were gone. Her eyes remained empty. 'Maybe I should have become an actress,' she mused.

"I don't need a boyfriend, Claire. As far as I'm concerned, men are a waste of time."

"Uh huh," she nodded disbelievingly. Claire glanced at her watch, "Oh no! Miki! We're going to be late!"

Miki laughed, "Don't worry, we'll be fine." She picked up her belongings and followed Claire to the park where the shoot was going to take place.

---

"One more Miki! Then you're home free," the photographer said as he aimed the camera.

"Okay!" Miki sat at the base of a tree with a book on her lap. She wore a knee length white skirt with pink, diagonal stripes and pink and green flower embroiders on the bottom right. Her top consisted of a simple green peasant style tank top. Her brown hair, which had grown to her mid back, was clipped away from her face leaving her bangs framing her face. She wore little make-up, only enough so as not to look pale in the pictures.

"And we're done! Great job Miki!" the photographer smiled at her.

"Thanks, Josh! Can I keep the outfit? It's adorable!" Miki dusted the skirt off and sent Josh a pleading look.

"Haha. Of course! We were going to give it to you as a gift anyways."

"A gift? What's the occasion?" she got a confused look on her face.

Claire, who had been watching the shoot from the side, laughed. "Miki! I can't believe you forgot! Today's your 22nd birthday!"

Miki gasped and brought a hand up to cover her mouth, "Oh my gosh! Is it really my birthday already?"

The crew laughed. It was just like Miki to forget her own birthday.

"Come on Miki! We can go celebrate at that café you used to work at! They have awesome cakes! It'll be my treat," Claire went over and grabbed Miki's hand leading her to the car. The rest of the crew waved bye to her and continued cleaning up.

Miki relaxed in the cool leather seats of Claire's car. Sure, she had her own car, but she didn't like driving much. She preferred to take public transport.

"I still don't understand why you don't use your car. It's a great car! Any normal girl would love to own one!"

"I just bought it because it was necessary. All these shoots and some go into early morning! The buses don't run then."

"I'll never understand you."

"I'm a complicated girl with simple desires," Miki gave a wry smile.

"That's for sure," Claire turned into a parking space in front of the café.

Miki hadn't been paying attention because if she had, she would have seen the camera crews waiting outside. She blinked as she was attacked by blinding lights.

"Happy Birthday Miss Matsuura. Is there anyone special in your life yet? There are rumors that you are in a relationship with your photographer!"

"No, I'm not dating Josh! He's like my older brother! I don't have time for guys right now.," she knew it was probably pointless denying it, but it was worth a shot.

"Is it true that you had an affair with..."

Miki blocked them out and entered the café as quickly as possible. "What was that!" she asked furiously.

"They're just interested in you is all, besides, you really do keep to yourself too much. They're suspicious too. You're a beautiful 22 year old woman who hasn't been in any relationship since you became a model. Ignore them," Claire steered her to an empty table on the second floor of the café.

"I hate reporters. At least it's only local news," she mumbled.

"Actually, there was one international crew there. They seem to be curious as to your history. You'll probably an international super model now!" Claire clapped her hands in glee not seeing Miki's face pale.

"International? You mean that's going to air in New York, California, and Japan?" her eyes had gone wide.

"I'm not sure about Japan, but yes, the United States is definitely going to get it."

"Oh no! I can't stay! I have to go! I'll pack my things and get a ticket to...," the rest was spoken so quietly Claire wasn't able to understand.

"What's wrong? Why do you have to leave?"

"I can't stay here anymore! They'll find me! I've been hiding for five years. I thought I would finally be able to settle."

"Whoa, Miki. Calm down. You want to start from the beginning?" Claire placed a comforting hand on Miki's shaking one.

Miki looked at her for a while then nodded. She just had to tell someone. "I'm from Japan. When I started high school my parent's got divorced then switch partners with another couple. That couple had a son my age. His name was Yuu..."

Miki told Claire her story. She was so into reliving her memories that she didn't notice when Claire went over to hug her. Not once did she shed a single tear. Her story ended with her finding out that she and Yuu were half siblings and her moving to her current home.

"Don't worry. I'm sure they aren't going to find you. Just stay for a while. As soon as I hear that someone's looking for you, I'll send you to my family's summer home in France. You can still model, just at a lower profile. Thank you for telling me." 'Thank you for trusting me.'

Miki nodded, too tired to say anything else.

"So," Claire got a devious spark in her eye, "You took his last name Miss _Matsuura_?"

Miki was tempted to blush, but held it back. "I wasn't about to give anyone my real name. They could have found out that I was a runaway from Japan."

The rest of the night was spent with Claire teasing Miki and Miki eating cake.

---

Yuu tried to concentrate. He really did, but thoughts of Miki still haunted his mind. Sure she had been missing for five years, but he still couldn't forget her. The broken look in her eyes when he told her they were related. She wasn't found in San Francisco and she hadn't returned to Japan. Their parents had heard from her at all. Meiko was using her publisher help find Miki and Satoshi used his dad's firm to search. Nothing came up. It's as if Miki Koishikawa never existed. His thoughts were interrupted when Jinny burst into his room.

"Yuu! You have to see this! It's Miki!"

Yuu jumped from his feet and quickly followed Jinny to the living room where the others were watching intently.

"In other news, top model Miki Matsuura was seen celebrating her 22nd birthday at a café in London, England. Here is a clip."

"Happy Birthday Miss Matsuura. Is there anyone special in your life yet? There are rumors that you are in a relationship with your photographer!"

"No, I'm not dating Josh! He's like my older brother! I don't have time for guys right now.," Miki's slightly more mature voice answered irritably. She was wearing simple outfit that accented her curves nicely and the make-up she wore brought out her eyes.

Yuu stared at the T.V. in shock. She was in England? They had been spending all this time searching California for her and she wasn't even on the right continent.

Doris tapped Yuu slightly on the shoulder, "After I heard she was a model, I looked her up on the internet. There are a lot of clips and pictures of her. We made you this folder," she handed him a plain manila folder that was full of papers. "We also plan on sending one to your family in Japan."

Yuu didn't now what to say. He opened the folder and looked at the pictures. The others watched with interest also looking at the pictures.

"She's so beautiful now. She's a successful model now."

Yuu nodded in agreement, still to awestruck to say anything.

"Well?" Brian asked.

Yuu looked up from the pictures and gave him a confused look.

"Are you going to go there and get her?"

Yuu opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. He had to go to her.

Everyone saw the hesitant look he had. "We'll go with you too! We could even call your parents and friends in Japan to come! It'll be great!" Michael was grinning.

Yuu nodded in agreement, "We'll get Miki back."

They all cheered at the simple statement.

---

Meiko sat at her desk writing. She missed Miki. Five years and not one word. No letters, no phone calls, not even a postcard! What happened when she went to New York? Matsuura didn't say anything, only told her that she went missing and bought a ticket to California.

The door to her study opened and Namura walked in. "Meiko... I just got a call from Miki's parents." He paused for a minute and looked at her, "They found her."

Meiko dropped her pen and looked up slowly at her husband. "They... found... Miki?" Her words were quiet. She didn't want any false hope.

Namura smiled warmly at his young wife, "She's a successful model in England right now. They've called all her high school friends and are going to get her back in person. They wanted you to come with them."

Meiko looked at him in silent question, "Are you sure it's all right if I go? I don't want to leave you alone."

"Don't worry, Mei-mei. I know how much you miss her. I'll be fine."

Meiko rushed to hug him, "Thank you for understanding. Thank you so much." She kissed him and went to begin packing.

---

A large group gathered at the airport. Each person looked anxious.

Rumi and Chiyako were carrying their children. Jin and Rumi sat quietly next to them. Ginta was holding Arimi's hand tightly as she leaned against him. Meiko looked silently at her hands. Kei had just been in the middle of a tour was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Miwa stood with his hands in his pockets. Suzu was, for once, completely silent.

"Fligh 169 to New York is now boarding."

They all looked at each other and gathered their belongings. They were going to see Miki soon.

---

Yuu, Michael, Brian, Doris, Jinny, Bill, and Anju waited at the gate for the arrivals from Japan. The flight to England was leaving in an hour and they were nervous. They sat in complete silence as they waited. Soon enough, the group of twelve appeared before them.

Yuu stood and went to hug his mom.

"I missed you, mom. Sorry I haven't been home in a while."

"It's all right, Yuu. You were looking for Miki and now, you've found her," Chiyako looked at Rumi who was getting teary eyed.

"Chiyako's right Yuu. Thank you for looking for Miki. Thank you for not giving up. My baby girl is going to come home," Rumi said with her hand on Yuu's cheek.

Michael broke the silence, "Come on! We might miss our flight."

The larger group of nineteen made their way gate.

---

"Miki! You have an interview in half an hour! Where are you!" Claire called from downstairs.

Miki had decided to stay with Claire for the time being. She's was planning to go back to her apartment the next day.

"Coming," came the response.

Claire waited impatiently at the front door. She let out a sigh of relief as Miki came down the stairs ready. "Gees. Take forever why don't you?"

Miki merely waved her hand, "I'm not late so who cares?"

Claire laughed as the began their drive to the studio.

"Nothing right?" Miki asked halfway into the ride.

"Nothing," Claire confirmed. They had waited for any signs of Miki's past, but nothing came up.

"Good."

They pulled into the studio parking lot a few minutes later. Miki was quickly ushered to her seat next to the host, Catherine. In front of them, a man was counting down. '5... 4... 3... 2...'

"Welcome to The Buzz. Today, we have an extra special guest! Please say hello to Miki Matsuura!" Catherine held a hand out to Miki who shook it with a smile.

"Thank you for allowing me on your show."

"So," Catherine began in an overly perky tone, "Why have you decided to take this interview? I, along with many others, have been repeatedly turned down by your agent for interviews!"

"Well," Miki thought of a good excuse, "We've been really busy with shoots and my home situation was a bit complicated."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, I'm not exactly on speaking terms with my family at the moment. They didn't approve of me coming to England." 'Not a lie. I haven't talked to them in five years and they definitely would never have let me come here to run away.'

"Oh? Why didn't they want you to come to England?"

Miki gave a soft laugh, "If I told you, I would lose all the mystery I've built up! I won't be as popular anymore!"

Catherine pouted, "You'd probably be even more popular! So why did they want to keep you home?"

Miki leaned forward resting her elbow on her knee then allowed her chin to rest in her hand, "They didn't approve of my boyfriend."

"What? So you have a boyfriend? Who is it? Why all the secrecy?" Catherine sprouted questions rapidly.

Miki shook her head, "We aren't together anymore. Because of my family situation, we broke up. I came here and decided that men weren't worth the effort anymore."

Catherine nodded in agreement, "True, true. So who was the lucky man? You haven't told us his name."

"That is something I can't tell you."

"Well, I guess that's good enough then," she turned the camera with a sugary smile, "I'm your host, Catherine, stay tuned for more on The Buzz."

Miki got up from her seat and walked over to Claire. She closed her eyes not once looking at the older woman, "That was tiring. I now know why I should forever avoid interviews." She opened her eyes to look at Claire. "Claire! What's wrong?" she asked in alarm.

"That was Josh. He said he was at the airport picking up his cousin when he saw a group of about twenty people getting off a flight from New York. Most of them looked Japanese and two older adults looked a lot like you. Miki," Claire looked at the slightly shaking form next to her, "I think your family is here for you."

"NO!" Miki fell on a crumpled heap on the floor. People stopped to look at the distraught model.

"Miki, come on. We have to leave. Now."

Claire helped the other girl to her feet and led her to the car. She drove them to her house, where Miki grabbed her things, then to Miki's apartment.

"Just grab necessities. You can buy the rest of the stuff you need in Paris. I've already called the airport and reserved a ticket. All you need to do is pick it up and get on the plane."

Miki nodded in understanding. She went up to her apartment and grabbed a few memorabilia's. She was back in the car in a few minutes and they were off to the airport. Unfortunately, they forgot to call Josh to ask whether the large group had left and ran into Miki's past.

"Miki..."

Miki stopped dead in her tracks. She glanced at Claire who was staring behind her. She sucked in a breath and slowly turned around.

There, before her stood everyone from her past. Everyone she had been avoiding for five years. Everyone she loved.

Miki steeled herself against the onslaught of emotions that rushed through her being. She put on her mask of indifference, "Hello." Her voice was cold and her face was devoid of all emotion, "Is there something I can do for you?"

The others were speechless. They had never heard Miki sound so... cruel before.

Inside, Miki was fighting the instinct to rush to them and break down crying. "If you are going to waste my time, I'll be going now. I have a plane to catch. Goodbye."

Without so much as a wave, she turned her heel and motioned Claire to follow her. Yuu quickly stepped forward and grabbed a hold of her shoulder.

"Miki! We've been looking for you for five years. Why won't you talk to us? Scream if you want. Yell if you want. Just please," a desperate tone entered his voice, "talk to us."

"Please remove your hand," she said in a restrained whisper.

"Miki..." It was Meiko this time.

Miki's back straightened at the voice. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I really must be leaving," she turned around and looked back at them, "I have no intention of giving up the life I built for myself. I will not be returning to Japan and I would appreciate it if you would stop harassing me."

Ginta stood up, "Harassing you! Miki! We care for you! That's why we're going to bring you back home!"

Claire saw that her friend was beginning to get outnumbered. "Excuse me," she said drawing all the attention to herself, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to let go of her. We're on a tight schedule and I will not hesitate to get lawyers involved."

"The hell with your lawyers! She ran away as a minor therefore she has an obligation to come with us!" Ginta lashed out angrily.

Miki distanced herself from everyone and watched as her friend defended her. When she heard Ginta's comment her anger peaked, "Obligation? What obligation? As far as I know, as soon as I turned eighteen I was none of your concern. Any of you. I will not allow you to destroy all that I have worked for in the past five years. Leave me be or I will be forced to call my lawyers to procure a restraining order against you. Come, Claire." Miki turned her heel and left the stunned group.

It took every ounce of self-restraint she had not to turn back. If she did, she would fall. 'I'm sorry. Please forgive me.' She absentmindedly boarded the plane and took her seat. She looked and saw her family and friends looking at her sadly from the airport windows. 'Good bye.'

* * *

Wow... I just started writing this and decided that I'm much better at one shots... I don't really plan on continuing this. If I have time later on, maybe I will, but you people have to tell me if you want it to be continued or not. I don't want to waste time. Anyways, this story doesn't have a betaso please excuse the mistakes if you find any. I'll probably go back when I have to fix it. Please **_REVIEW_**! 


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